- Take a look at Authorized, the big favorite in the Vodafone Epsom Derby on Saturday, winning the Dante Stakes his one and only prep for the race, that two weeks ago. They sure do things differently over there, don't they?
Just glancing over a few articles, there seems to be an undercurrent of skepticism regarding Authorized, being quoted at around 4-5, on the grounds that he hasn't beaten anybody. Some guy on the You Tube page wrote of the Dante Stakes field:
Raincoat won a weak 4 horse trial & is not in the Derby, Al Shemali only won his maiden & been beaten 3 times this season, Adagio came here after a poor run & clearly didn't stay, Proponent won 2 soft 2 year old races & was having his first run in 7 months & Prince Golan was out of his depth & got badly outpaced in the straight. [Guy on You Tube]Frankie Dettori rides the favorite courtesy of His Royal Sheikhness, who granted his contract rider permission to try and get his first Derby win, after 14 prior tries. Does that mean he can't win the big one?
"All the horses I have ridden in the Derby have had question marks over them, but Authorize is pretty special. He is the best ride I've had and the Dante win was as good as any horse in the past." [Daily Mail]- The Californian at Hollywood is shaping up as a pretty nice race, with Kip Deville having become the center of attraction running back after his disappointing 6th in the Shoemaker on Monday. Of course, that's routine for Dutrow, who ran Golden Man on back to back days in July 2005 - he ran third and then second. Interesting field includes Perfect Drift, Boboman, Buzzards Bay, a real disappointment since his runaway in the Oaklawn Handicap last year; and Wilko, now winless in 16 attempts dating back to October 30, 2004.
5 Comments:
If only Dutrow, or Jerkins, trained SS or R2R....
We can dream can't we?
It's not that long ago, in the scheme of things, that Woody Stephens ran Cavaet in the Met Mile, and then won the Belmont with him five days later. Dutrow is probably the only guy that would even dream of doing something like that now.
alan - That was Conquistador Cielo, not Caveat. Set the track record for a mile on Monday, then won the Belmont by 13 lengths on Saturday. Didn't some top Australian horse try something similar last year? - alex
alex, thanks. not the first time i've gotten that mixed up. and i didn't have either of them.
Caveat was injured in the Belmont, and never raced again, so if it had been him, it wouldn't have been a good argument for 'they don't make em like they used to".
-Alex
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